Marin Voice: Next generation of local farmers needs your support

Matt Dolkas - MALT

By Matt Dolkas, Senior Manager, Marketing

March 5, 2024

When I began my career in agriculture in my mid-20s, after a decade as a chef in fine dining, working in award-winning vineyards and dairies that produced some of the best cheese in the country, I almost never saw anyone my age working for these operations.

I began to wonder, where are the next generation of farmers? As I dove further into the agricultural community, I continued to see aging operators who were often facing serious health issues with little to no prospects of passing on the family farm to an heir.

More stories like this:

Cultivating Change: Women Farmers and Ranchers of Marin County

March 3, 2025

In 1980, while many were focused on Silicon Valley’s emerging tech boom, two remarkable women in Marin County were quietly launching an agricultural revolution that would reshape land conservation across America. Ellen Straus, a Point Reyes dairy farmer, and Phyllis Faber, a wetlands biologist, founded the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) with a revolutionary vision:…

Read More

Where to See the Spring Wildflowers in Marin County

February 24, 2025

Wildflowers in Marin County are in bloom and there’s no better time to experience the beauty of our region’s open spaces.

Read More

Local rancher assembles pipe as part of new climate-smart agriculture project funded by MALT

New Climate Solutions Bloom: Three Success Stories from MALT’s Grant Program

February 21, 2025

Marin County’s farmers and ranchers face mounting pressures to adapt their operations in response to climate change, yet federal funding for climate smart agriculture remains uncertain.

Read More